What is Sriracha Hot Sauce?

Origin and Uses

What is sriracha? Pronounced seer-RAH-shah, it is a hot chili sauce named for the coastal port city in Thailand from which it hails. It is also known as rooster sauce because the California-made Huy Fong brand features a rooster on the bottle.The general recipe for sriracha includes ground chiles, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, and was first developed to serve with seafood.

In the US, the Huy Fong brand is the best-known sriracha chili sauce or hot sauce available. The company is based in Irwindale, CA. Sriracha is likened in flavor to chili paste, but with much more heat. The Huy Fong take on Thai sriracha is thicker and less sweet than a typical Thai sriracha, but it makes an excellent multi-purpose condiment that the world over, especially Americans, has embraced.

Sriracha Uses

Sriracha is used just most hot sauces are used: to add some spiciness to otherwise mild dishes. It is usually used just before food is served.

Sriracha Recipe Suggestions

It is a misnomer to "cook" with sriracha as it is best added just after the food has been removed from the heat. However, by adding sriracha, it's the spiciness that most people are looking for. The flavor can be maintained in some recipes. If you're looking for something new, here is one recipe to start to honing your sriracha skills in the kitchen:

Where to Buy Sriracha

Most grocery stores will carry Huy Fong Foods' Sriracha sauce. Their other two products, chili garlic, and sambal oelek are also sold. Aficionados can also buy Huy Fong's sriracha by the case (12 17-ounce bottles).